The present invention is related to a rail-type grounding terminal structure composed of a metal grounding member and an insulating housing. The grounding member has better operation elasticity and a gap is defined between the grounding member and the insulating housing to provide an operation space.
A conventional metal grounding terminal is enclosed in an insulating housing (generally made of plastic material). A row of such grounding terminals is latched on a grounding rail (or conductive rail) to establish a common grounding device for electric appliances or power mechanical equipments. The grounding device serves to conduct and remove the current, static or instantaneous electric shock remaining in the machines or equipments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,259 discloses a typical ground conductor terminal.
The ground conductor terminal includes an insulating housing in which a leaf spring mount or a conductive board is installed. The leaf spring mount or conductive board has multiple wire connectors for connecting with the grounding wires coming from the machines or equipments. A metal grounding member is connected on the leaf spring mount or conductive board by means of welding or riveting. The metal grounding member has two ends latched on the grounding rail (or conductive rail).
In the case that the ground conductor terminal needs to be replaced due to loosening, short-circuit, overheating, burnout or the like, an operator can use a tool (such as a screwdriver) to hook and pull a hook-shaped foot section formed on lower side of the insulating housing. At this time, the foot section urges one end of the grounding member to bias outward so as to unlatch the grounding member from the rail.
However, it often takes place that when the operator uses the tool to pull the foot section, simply the foot section is pulled, while the end of the metal grounding member is not truly pulled and unlatched from the rail at the same time. Under such circumstance, the ground conductor terminal is not separated from the rail and the operator needs to repeatedly pull the ground conductor terminal until it is separated from the rail. In some cases, the ground conductor terminal is very hard to detach from the rail even though a great pulling force is applied to the ground conductor terminal. This is because the insulating housing is generally made of plastic material and the grounding member is fixedly welded or riveted on the leaf spring mount. Therefore, when the insulating housing is biased and deformed, the metal grounding member can be hardly truly pulled and unlatched from the rail. Accordingly, it is quite troublesome and difficult for a serviceman to detach the ground conductor terminal from the rail.
In this field, it is required to tightly latch the metal grounding member with the rail so as to reduce resistance. In other words, it is a dilemma to on one hand make the metal grounding member tightly latched with the rail and on the other hand allow a serviceman to easily detach the ground conductor terminal from the rail.